OLD JAIL WON'T BE DOING MORE TIME

Curragh not viable for civilian prison due to cost and safety fears

- BY KEN FOXE

PLANS to reopen an old military prison at the Curragh have been quietly shelved after a review found it would not be cost effective or safe.

The Department of Justice had repeatedly pushed for the reopening of the facility in Kildare as part of efforts to tackle dangerous levels of overcrowding in Irish jails.

However, a feasibility report which cost just over €16,000 - revealed a host of issues including dry rot, no cabling, as well as exorbitant costs that would bring just sixty-two new spaces on stream.

The Prison Officers Association had told the department it should be possible to bring the Curragh Prison back to use with "relatively little investment".